After Qin Shu went to Juxian Pavilion, as expected, she was reprimanded by Qin Mu. But after all, she was Qin Mu's jewel, so she was reluctant to scold her too harshly, and only ordered her not to travel in men's clothes.
Who would have thought that, early the next morning, Cen Lizhen came in dressed up and invited Qin Shu out to play in front of Qin Mu. Because of his status as a prince, Qin Mu couldn't refuse. He wanted Qin Shu to refuse, but Qin Shu was fascinated when she saw Cen Lixuan and wanted to go out with him.
For several days after that, Cen Lizhen was like this, going to Qin Shu every day. Rumors spread in Xiangcheng that the ninth prince wanted to take the daughter of General Qin. Along with these rumors, controversy ensued. The ninth prince is so masculine, it has been passed down in Xiangcheng for many years, and everyone is not surprised. But now that he is pursuing Qin Shu, isn't that a slap in the face of the rumor? If people really like men, how can they pursue a woman now.
So someone came out and said that the ninth prince was so masculine, that was what someone in the palace saw with their own eyes. In the final analysis, he was just playing with General Qin's daughter from time to time.
The emperor couldn't stay awake for more than an hour for several days. Qin Mu always returned to the capital, and after several days, he failed to receive a summons to the palace.
In the same way, Wei Lin lingered at the entrance of the Anshang Hall every day, waiting for the opportunity to go in and talk to the emperor about the loach, but Eunuch Mu didn't give him a chance to communicate, and directly rejected him, saying that the emperor had not seen anyone recently. This made Wei Linchou die. Apart from going to see Jiang Ye in the Heavenly Prison every day, he just wandered around the Anshang Hall, waiting for an opportunity.
It took four days for him to finally wait for this opportunity.
This afternoon, Wei Lin was guarding in front of the Anshang Palace. When he saw Cen Lixuan coming from afar, he greeted him without thinking and said, "Ninth Prince, I haven't seen you for a long time, why haven't you come to the Anshang Palace?"
This question was a no-brainer, but Cen Lixuan didn't care, and said lightly, "I've been outside the palace for the past few days, and my father was sick, so I didn't come to the palace."
"You made me anxious to death." Wei Lin said.
Cen Lixuan glanced at him, presumably Wei Lin hadn't heard of what he was doing outside recently. Seeing his anxious tone, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"The person has been caught, and the confession is also available. I'm just waiting to meet the emperor." Wei Lin whispered, "The emperor has never seen anyone, and I haven't found a chance to enter the An Shang Palace."
"Understood." Cen Lixuan nodded solemnly and said, "Then let me go in first. After half an hour, you will let Eunuch Mu report it."
"Okay." Wei Lin nodded, "Then I will now notify General Xue to escort people into the palace."
Speaking of Xue Ziqin's name, Cen Lixuan felt guilty for a while. He couldn't help but think that he was now professing that he was pursuing Qin Shu. If Xue Ziqin knew about it, would he come to him and ask him the guilt
But now is not the time to think about it, now that the second prince can be eliminated from the opponent, that is really good news like timely rain.
"Let's go." Cen Lixuan nodded and walked towards the An Shang Palace.
"Xiao'er came to greet the emperor." He said loudly in the main hall.
Eunuch Mu came over and saluted him: "The emperor is taking medicine, please come in the ninth prince."
"Um."
Entering the inner hall, the maid is serving the emperor to drink medicine. Without a second thought, Cen Liguo stepped forward, took the soup medicine from the palace maid without a word, sat on the edge of the couch, scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on her lips, and sent it to the emperor's lips.
"You came."
"My father drinks the medicine first, and then I talk to my father after I finish drinking."
The emperor really obeyed his words, and drank the medicine spoon by spoon, then said, "I heard that you have been outside the palace for the past few days."
"Yes." Cen Lixuan handed the medicine bowl to the palace maid, and lowered her head slightly in response.
The emperor's complexion was much worse than that of the previous days. There was no blood on his face or lips, and even his skin was a little dry. He didn't look like a pampered emperor at all, but more like a twilight old man. When he spoke, he seemed to be struggling, and he had to gasp for breath after saying a word.
He continued: "I heard that... you... you are interested in Qin Mu's daughter."
As soon as these words came out, Cen Lixuan turned slightly awkwardly, not daring to look at the emperor. In the eyes of the emperor, this is completely shy, and only what he said touched Cen Lixuan's mind, Cen Lixuan would be so squeamish.
"It doesn't matter, if you like it, I can give you a marriage." The emperor said, smiling forcibly.
However, Cen Lixuan shook his head and said: "My father is not in good health, how can Yao'er have the intention to get married."
"The ninth prince's words are bad," Eunuch Mu listened, and suddenly said, "It is because the emperor's dragon body is not healthy that the palace needs to add more joy."
"Cough cough... Anyway, if you like it, I can give you a marriage."
"Yuan'er is indeed... I admire Miss Qin." Cen Lixuan's voice became smaller and smaller, and the word "admiration" was almost incomprehensible.
Hearing the words, the emperor laughed and said, "Then I will decide for you. Mu Zhi, draw up a decree for me, and let the ninth prince and Qin Mu's daughter choose a day to get married."
Eunuch Mu bowed and said, "Yes, the servant will do it immediately."
"Nah, I thank the emperor for his grace." Cen Lixuan said, stood up, and bowed earnestly towards the weak emperor on the couch.
The emperor continued, "I am very happy to see you get married. Qin Mu will come to see me in a while, and this matter will be mentioned together."
"Thank you, Father!"
The two said something more, although the emperor was very weak, but he was mostly speaking. Maybe when people are about to die, there will always be more words, and most of them talk about the past, whether it is related to Cen Lixuan or not. Cen Lixuan just listened, and from time to time he made two irrelevant words. For a time, the two really seemed like father and son without any barriers.
Suddenly, the little eunuch outside came in and preached: "Report to the emperor, Commander Wei asks to see you."
"I don't want to see the minister now." The emperor lowered his eyes and said.
Cen Lixuan then persuaded: "I heard that Commander Wei really has an urgent matter, so it's better to meet your father and emperor."
The emperor hesitated, but nodded after a while: "Let him wait in the main hall."
"The emperor's dragon body is not healthy, I'm afraid it's not appropriate to stay and walk around..." Eunuch Mu said quickly.
"I haven't reached the time when I can't walk." The emperor frowned, lifted the quilt and planned to stay. Cen Lixuan hurriedly supported him, and the little eunuch stepped forward to wait on him and put on his shoes. Cen Lixuan supported the emperor and walked slowly to the main hall of the Anshang Hall before sitting down for a few cases.
After the end, Cen Lixuan stepped forward again and said, "The minister there will retire first."
"Nothing, just stay here." The emperor said.
"Yes."
The little eunuch went out and called Wei Lin to come in. Wei Lin strode up to the emperor, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "My minister Wei Lin sees the emperor."
"No gift." The emperor said softly. He has seen Wei Lin many times in the palace, but he never said a few words. Originally, the commander of the forbidden army was a warrior under Xue Changfeng's command. Later, because of the murder of the eldest prince, he wanted to balance the power of the Xue and Wei families, so he asked Wei Yuanting to recommend someone to take office. But I didn't expect Wei Yuanting to let his son into the palace directly. The heart of Sima Zhao here is too obvious.
Therefore, the emperor's impression of Wei Lin was not good.
"What is the important thing Commander Wei wants to see me?"
"Emperor Qi, do you still remember Eunuch Jiang who served in the Anshang Palace before?"
"Oh?" The emperor was slightly surprised by what he said.
Jiang also clearly told him that he was a member of the Xue family, but why the son of Wei Yuanting came up to ask him. I only heard Wei Lin continue: "Eunuch Jiang probably has a petition to the emperor, and this is why the minister risked his life to disturb the emperor's rest."
"You just say it."
"This minister has caught the real murderer who murdered the eldest prince, and here is his confession." Wei Lin took out the confession from his sleeve and presented it, and continued, "At this moment, the person is outside the palace and is being detained by General Xue. You can meet the emperor."
The emperor started the confession with some doubts - he felt that the relationship between Wei Lin and Jiang Ye was a little inexplicable, and now he even participated in it with the Xue family, he really couldn't understand it.
The emperor read the confession carefully, but he was afraid that he was too sick to read it wrong, so he read it back and forth three times. There was silence in the main hall, and the crowd did not dare to come out, waiting for the emperor to finish reading.
Every word in the content seemed to add fuel to the pent-up anger in the emperor's heart, making that little spark less and more prosperous, until he took the confession, slapped it with a big hand, and slapped it hard on several cases, angry. He shouted: "Let Xue Ziqin bring people up! I want to personally interrogate! Cough..."
The emperor was instantly excited, and after saying this, he began to cough violently.
Wei Lin immediately said, "Yes! General Xue is waiting outside the palace gate right now!"
"Cough, go spread it!"
"Yes!"
When Xue Ziqin received news from Wei Lin, he was already waiting at the gate of the palace. The little eunuch in Anshang Palace trotted all the way to summon Xue Ziqin, and when Xue Ziqin walked into the palace gate with his front foot, he heard the sound of heavy armor moving on his back foot. He looked back and saw that the man was wearing the armor of a general.
Just as Xue Ziqin looked at the man in puzzlement and thought carefully about who it might be, Min Qiu came up to him and whispered in his ear, "That's General Qin Mu."
"Oh..." Xue Ziqin really only met Qin Mu casually in the palace eight or nine years ago, and he has long since forgotten his appearance. He waited for the other party to walk not far away from him, and stepped forward to greet him, "I have seen General Qin."
"You are..." Qin Mu asked with a frown.
Apparently the other party also did not remember his appearance. Xue Ziqin didn't get angry, and introduced himself: "Xue Ziqin is here."
"It turned out to be the young and promising General Xue."
"General Qin is wrong. I don't know that General Qin entered the palace at this time to..."
"Naturally, it was called by the Holy Spirit De Meng." Qin Mu said, raised his hand in front of him, and gave a bow to the side.
"So that's the case." Xue Ziqin smiled, "Then it will be lively today."
"What does General Xue mean?"
Xue Ziqin pointed to the human being detained behind him: "I am hereby ordered to detain felons and enter the palace for trial."
"It's really lively like this." After Qin Mu finished speaking, he nodded to him without saying goodbye, then turned and walked forward.
Looking at Qin Mu's back, he was a little unhappy, but he couldn't pick the wrong one, so he had to lead the people to continue to the Anshang Palace, but he was behind Qin Mu, and Xue Ziqin was really aggrieved.
"Your Majesty, General Xue and General Qin have arrived."
Hearing the little eunuch's announcement, the emperor didn't react. Counting the time, Qin Mu should have entered the palace at this time. But Cen Lixuan's expression changed, and he looked a little bad.
Qin Mu and Xue Ziqin, now he doesn't want to see either.
He opened his mouth and said, "Since the father and emperor are discussing state affairs, then Yao'er should avoid it first."
The emperor thought he was trying to avoid suspicion, but he applauded in his heart, but left him: "Nothing, you are here, this is also a family matter."
Mutilating siblings is not a family matter. Wei Lin, who was waiting on the side, thought so in his heart. Then Xue Ziqin and Qin Mu entered the main hall one after the other. After saluting the emperor, Xue Ziqin took the lead and said, "Your Majesty, the criminals have been brought."
"Bring it in!"
"Yes."
The loach was held by Min Qiu, held in the Anshang Hall, and fell to the ground.
Three days had passed since Wei Lin beat him that day. I don't know if Xue Ziqin specially greeted him. He found a burlap and sackcloth to put on the loach. He couldn't tell how bad his injuries were, but his face was pale and he was not much better than the emperor.
The emperor stretched out his hand and threw the confession on the ground and asked, "Is this confession true?!"
The loach didn't lift his eyes, and nodded stiffly, and in order to survive, he completely turned his back on his master and said, "Yes..."
"You say it again, is it really what Li Jiang did?!"
"Yes." Loach still did not change his words, and added, "The slave has followed the second prince for five years, and the words in the confession are true. I just ask the emperor to spare my life for my sake of abandoning the dark and the bright."
"You make it clear to me, if it's true, I can keep you alive."
At first, Wei Lin was a little worried that the loach would turn against the water temporarily, but then he would bite them back and "force a confession from words and deeds, frame the second prince", and things would get a little worse.
He thought about it and glanced at Xue Ziqin.
Xue Ziqin gave him a confident smile as if he felt it.
It seemed that Xue Ziqin should have been doing a lot these days.